Vacationing in Europe
by ImmortalRain7
Summary: No...Way! We get to go to Europe because some psycho is killing people on a cruise ship? SWEET!" HeeroxDuo, side of TrowaxQuatre, Relena bashing, onesided RelenaxHeero. YAOI, people!
1. Chapter 1

By: ImmortalRain7

Vacationing in Europe

By: ImmortalRain7

Summary: "No…Way! We are getting sent to Europe because some psycho killer is killing people on a cruise ship? SWEET."

Warnings: YAOI (meaning boyxboy), language, violence, Relena bashing

Pairings: HeeroxDuo, side pairing of TrowaxQuatre, onesided RelenaxHeero

Note: I have been reading Anita Blake Vampire Slayer Series lately so if my writing is a little different this is why.

Disclaimer: no I don't own Anita Blake, Gundam Wing, Holland America lines, Air Canada, or anything other than my mind and my computer.

**Duo's POV**

Chapter 1:

"Seriously?" I stared wide-eyed at the computer screen where an email was shining brightly in contrast to the dark room.

Heero stayed quiet, simply re-reading the email before sending a response that the mission was accepted.

_Wow! A full paid vacation to Europe!...ok well it wasn't a vacation exactly. It was a mission. Apparently there have been murders on a cruise ship that was sailing through the Mediterranean. So now Heero and I get to go undercover for a ten day cruise. Score._

"Hee-chan, I'm gonna go tell Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei!" before he could respond I was already out the bedroom that we shared and halfway down the hall. We were currently living in a two story safe house. Although it was a huge house, it only had three bedrooms. Heero and I shared a room, Quatre and Trowa shared a room, and Wufei got a room all to himself.

I walked down the short hallway, my bare feet softly padding through the off white colored carpet. I reached Quatre and Trowa's room within seconds and knocked twice on the door. Inside the bedroom I heard soft voices whispering, and then rustling of a mattress. The door swung open and I was face to face with Quatre. His soft blond hair was ruffled and poking out in random directions. His face was slightly pink and he was making a very big effort not to pant.

"Q-man, guess what?" I paused slightly waiting to see if he would respond. In this pause, Trowa had walked over and now stood behind Quatre.

"um…I don't know, Duo. What?"

"Me and Heero-"

"Heero and I," Trowa supplied, interrupting me.

I ignored his comment and continued, "We got sent on a mission to Europe to go on a cruise for ten days!"

"That's great, Duo. But how is that classified as a mission?"

"Well it turns out that there have been three murders on the cruise ship so they want us to find the killer…but that doesn't matter…I'm going to Europe!"

I bounced happily to Wufei's door and rapped on it three times. Wufei opened the door within a few seconds and glared his hardest at me. It, of course, didn't faze me at all. "Wufei, I'm going to Europe for ten days!"

"Hooray…you won't be here to bother us," he stared blankly at me, willing me to disappear.

I pouted slightly. This was exactly why Wufei and I couldn't room together. We had tried it once and we just barely managed to not kill each other. We had kept up the whole house by arguing. Although Quatre had tried to stop us fighting, we had ignored him. In the end, Heero had walked out of his room, all quiet and stuff, and grabbed me from behind by my collar and dragged me into his empty room. He shut the door and threw me on one side of the bed and then went back to sleep.

I turned with a flourish and stomped back to our room, noticing that Quatre and Trowa's door had closed. Heero had shut his laptop and stripped off his shirt. I tried with all my might not to look at his well muscled body that was less than ten feet away. As I walked over to the opposite side of the bed, I couldn't help but steal a few glances as his muscles contracted and pulled as he put on his white tank top. I pulled my eyes back and took off my own shirt, stripping only to boxers, before climbing into bed and wrapping up in warm covers. The bed creaked and bounced as Heero also got in.

As I lay in bed trying to fall asleep, my thoughts drifted off to Europe and boys in Europe. Alright I admit it, I'm gay. It mostly started with Solo and my latest attraction has been directed at Heero. Maybe some hot foreign guys will finally get my mind off Heero…because honestly, I don't think anyone can ever be as straight as Heero. Well now that I think about, he doesn't care for anyone. I sighed and shutting my eyes, finally felt sleep overcome me.

The next day I woke up to the sound of my annoying alarm clock. That was one thing I wouldn't miss. I reached over and blindly slammed my hand down on the snooze button. I sighed and decided to get up. Glancing over, I noticed that Heero's side of the bed was empty and neatly made. I dragged myself out of bed and pulled on a pair of baggy jeans and a green long sleeved shirt with a white short sleeved t-shirt over top it. I hastily crammed ten days worth of clothes into my black duffel bag and then jogged down the stairs and into the kitchen. Quatre was over by the oven cooking some pancakes, Trowa was grilling bacon beside Quatre, and Wufei and Heero were sitting at the small round table reading the newspaper. I set down my bag and then started setting the table. When Quatre, Trowa and I were done, we all sat down and started eating.

"Mhmm…Quatre, I'm gonna miss your pancakes," I said while working on my 9th one…hey, I'm a growing boy.

Quatre laughed shyly and then continued eating. I finished before all the others and leaned back in my chair watching the others eat. Trowa was reading a piece of the Life section in the newspaper and he reached for another pancake without looking up. Quatre also was reaching for another pancake without looking. Their hands touched and they pulled back their hand immediately, Quatre blushing like crazy while Trowa simply hid behind his newspaper. Hmm….interesting. I smirked, a plan forming in my mind already. I glanced over at Heero who was looking at me weird. It was probably the evil grin that was just screaming mischief. I smiled innocently at him and then left to put my dishes in the sink. Soon after, Quatre and Trowa followed with their own dishes.

As I was walking away from the sink, I passed by Quatre and stuck out my foot slightly, just enough to trip him. The unsuspecting Quatre fell forward, but just as he was thinking all hope was lost, an arm snaked around his waist and pulled him up and against a chest. Quatre blinked before jumping out of Trowa's arm.

"Uh…S-Sorry, Trowa…uh…thanks for…uh…catching me," Quatre looked like he was gonna die of embarrassment.

Trowa nodded and walked around Quatre to rinse his dishes. I smirked triumphantly and started walking towards the door but stopped when I saw Heero looking at me weirdly. I tilted my head to the side slightly, wondering what the heck he was trying to do.

"Uh, Heero?…don't give yourself a brain melt down…I need you to help me get through airport security."

This made Heero snap out of it and he just got up with his dishes and walked to the sink. I stood there a few more seconds before shrugging and walking towards my shoes. Pulling them on, I grabbed my bag and headed towards Wufei's car. Wufei's Jeep Wrangler was blue and had the top open so that there was no roof, only one little bar. I threw in my back to the back seat and walked back to the safe house we were in. We had agreed that Wufei would drive Heero and I to the airport and back, mostly because his car was the best in the woods and other terrains. We had everything packed within 5 minutes and we all piled in the car, me in the back seat, Wufei driving, and Heero in shot gun.

I waved as we sped off towards the Toronto air port. It was about a three hour drive without traffic but seeing as how it was nine o'clock on a Monday morning, there was a lot of traffic. I leaned my head back and stared at the sky, trying not to get blinded by the sun which was glaring as hard as it could at me. We were stuck in stop and go traffic for two and a half hours before it finally started clearing out. We got to the airport around three in the afternoon. Wufei dropped us off at the front of the airport before speeding off to meet some mystery girl for their date at the mall. Heero and I walked into the airport and automatically walked to the Air Canada check-in line. We had to wait another hour before we could finally print off our ticket and boarding pass. Jesus, I hate airports. Naturally Heero and I got the perky lady behind the counter who couldn't seem to stop smiling.

"What flight number are you one, sir?" She said in that falsely high squeaky voice.

"uh…739."

"Ah! 739 to Rome. What seat numbers are you?"

"uhm…27 A and B."

"Perfect."

And then to make things even worse, the lady decided to chat with Heero and I.

"So how long are you going to Rome?"

"Ten days…for a cruise."

"Oh wow…that sounds wonderful. Well, be sure to have a _wonderful_ time, Mr….Maxwell," she said as she glanced down at the boarding passes for the name.

My eyes widened slightly when I realized what she was implying. I was so shocked that I kept on opening and closing my mouth but no sounds came out, making me looking like a freaking fish. She finished checking in our two duffel bags and wished us a good flight. I was still shocked so I couldn't move yet. Heero grabbed my arm and dragged me away from the counter. I looked at him and even though he had an emotionless mask in place, I could tell that he was silently laughing at me.

"Shut up!" I yanked my arm back and lightly punched his arm.

We made our way towards security. Since there are no guns allowed on a plane no matter what, the professor had sent a package of guns and other weapons to the airport in Rome where we could pick them up. We stepped up to the security line and waited until we could grab one of those ugly gray buckets. We had to remove our shoes and put them in the bin. Psh…what do they think we're gonna do? Hide tiny bombs in our shoes so that when we get on the plane we can blow off the toes of the stewardess? Shaking my head, I still took them off and placed my book in the bin also. I had stopped by the library when they were closed and _borrowed_ the first book of the Anita Blake Vampire Slayer series. Heero walked through the security thing before me and he was cleared.

I held my breath as I walked through. That annoying beeping sound went off. My eyes widened. Shit. What if I accidentally strapped on a gun and I didn't even know it. It was practically a habit for the gundam pilots. A huge black man came over with a little stick beeper that buzzed as he swept it over my body. It went off at my waist line and he asked me to pull up my shirt. Great. Now I was stripping in front of the whole security line – which some of those teenager girls were watching me like hawks – but now I'm gonna get caught with a gun in my pants. I lifted up my shirt to show my belly button. He pointed to my belt which was black with a metal clip.

"That's your problem…Please remove your belt."

I was still recovering from shock but took it off anyways. The black man ran the detector over my waist and it didn't buzz. He waved me on and I grabbed my book and strapped on my belt while doing a funny little dance to get my shoes on quickly. I ran to catch up with Heero. He stood motionless off to the side. I laughed embarrassed and then walked with him to gate number 31.

Did I mention that I hate airports? Cause I do. There are non-stop lines everywhere you go. And then when you actually get into the building, you find out that your flight has been delayed for another three or four hours. It sucks. Our flight was supposed to leave at 4:15 but then the plane got stranded in Raleigh, North Carolina, because of bad weather. Now we are scheduled to leave at 7:15. It sucks!

I wandered around the airport for a few hours. I mostly chilled in the nearby bookstore that had a huge collection of fictional stories. I sat in there with my Mp3 player and listened to New Found Glory until about 6 and then I walked back to where Heero was sitting. He had entertained himself by reading the nine year old magazines that littered the waiting room. The small section for Gate 31 was starting to get crowded. The seats had all filled up and now people were standing by the window and walls.

"Heero…You didn't save me a seat?" I looked innocently at him. Since most of the people there were bored half to death, they didn't even try to hide the fact that they were eavesdropping on out conversation.

"No."

"Heero, you're mean," I decided to put on a show for the buggers that were listening to us. I started sniffing and looking teary eyed.

"hn," Heero didn't feel like playing my game but I still continued.

"Well…fine…I'll just go stand over on this wall if you need me," I faked sadness and hung my head as I walked over to an empty wall and leaned against there.

Soon after, a teenager girl about 18 walked up to me and leaned against the wall to my right.

"Hi, my name's Kasey."

"Hi, my name's Duo."

"That's a really cool name. So, what brings you to Rome?"

"Well…I'm going on a cruise for ten days," I admit I liked this girl. She wasn't completely shy but she wasn't overly confident like some chicks are. "How bout you?"

"I'm going on a cruise too. What ship?"

"uh…Nordaim? Nooordoim? Noor-"

"Noordam?"

"Yep that it's!"

"Same here. Wow, that was lucky. So are you going with family or friends?"

"no, just that annoying guy over there," I vagely pointed over towards Heero. I said the next part louder because I knew for a fact that he was listening in on Kasey and my conversation, "WHO HAPPENS TO BE A COMPLETE LOSER BUTT FACE."

Heero glanced up at me and glared hard. I stuck out my tongue and then turned back to Kasey, who was giggling.

"So how old are you?" I asked trying to keep the conversation going.

"oh…eighteen." Am I good or what? I totally guessed her age and got it right. I deserve a cookie.

"Cool…I'm nineteen."

"What about…him?" She nodded towards Heero, who was still watching.

I rolled my eyes, "Heero's twenty."

"Yes and you still hold a grudge that I'm older than you," Heero walked up to stand in front of me.

"You know what? You just can't accept that I'm more handsome than you."

Kasey outright laughed at our little fight. This is almost too funny because one time, Heero and my argument got a little out of hand and we grabbed guns and started shooting each other. Quatre had practically turned purple when he came back from his mission and I was shot in the arm and leg and Heero didn't even have a scratch on him. Oh and the safe house was completely destroyed.

Kasey continued laughing but stopped when the P.A. system came on announcing that flight number 739 to Rome was boarding now. Heero left to get in line while Kasey and I slowly made our way to where Heero was standing.

"So Kasey, are you here with anyone?"

"Nope. Just me by myself."

"What seat do you have?"

"um…27 C."

"WOW! That's so funny cause Heero and I are 27 A and B."

We walked down the passageway to the plane door. We all headed back towards seat 27. Heero sat down in the window seat while I grabbed the isle seat and Kasey grabbed the isle seat on the opposite side (Here's what it looks like: AB (isle) CDE (isle) FG)

"Heero, what are the details on the mission?"

"Check out the passengers that have been on all three cruises when the deaths occurred. Also check out employees. I will be living in a verandah level room and you are going to be….an employee."

"WHAT? You can't be serious. This is my first cruise. And I'm gonna spend it cleaning other people's rooms. Damn that old scientist."

"relax. You will be an extra help so you will be all over the ship, not just cleaning beds. This way you can have access to the employees and investigate them."

"Why can't you be the employee?"

"I don't have the name tag like you," I turned to Heero and he pulled out a plastic i.d. badge that had my face and my name.

I groaned and banged my head against the tray in front of me. The chubby lady in front of my seat turned around and glared at me. Unfortunately, her multiple chins ruined the effect. I ignored her and looked back at Kasey who was introducing herself to the couple next to her. The tall man had his arm slung over the shoulder of the short….man. Kasey didn't seem to have a problem with their relationship and the shorter of the two seemed to open up to her more and more. Kasey laughed and then turned to me, finishing her conversation with the two boyfriends.

"So what room are you in?"

"uhm…well…I'm kind of…an employee," I glared as hard as I could at Heero who didn't seem to care and just stared back.

"haha…really? Well that's cool. Are you an employee too, Heero?"

Heero looked at her for a while before slowly shaking his head, no. I lightly punched his arm again.

"Way to be social, Hee-chan." That earned me a hard glare. I ignored it and turned back to Kasey.

"No. He's in room 5039. How about you?"

"Wow! We're right across from each other. I'm room 5041."

We were about to continue talking but stopped when the stewardess came on the loud speakers, "Welcome to flight 739 to Rome. We ask that you now fold up your trays and put them in their safety lock and turn off all cell phones and electrical appliances. For your enjoyment, beverages will be served……."

I zoned out after the stewardess said 'welcome.' I have flown plenty of times so I knew all of the safety tips and could practically recite them by memory. Kasey had also flown many times because she was lip-synching to the exact words of the stewardess.

About thirty minutes later, we were speeding down the runway. I always loved this part of the flight. I just got a huge adrenaline rush when I looked out the window and saw buildings passing by at an incredible speed. And then my stomach always flips when we finally get enough momentum to lift off the ground. It feels like my stomach, heart, and brain are still back on the ground while I'm in the air.

The plane soon got to a really high altitude and we were free to move about the cabin. I turned back to Kasey and we started talking. Most of the stuff I didn't recognize – like the latest song or trend – but I pretended like I did. I even came up with my own little pretend life. I went to Harvard with Heero. My parents died when I was ten. My brother is quiet but gets really loud and childish when I bother him. My father figure is quiet and reserved. My mother figure is nice and has blond hair and always cooks and cleans. Wow. It's almost like I'm describing the Gundam boys. Wufei's my brother, Trowa's my dad, and Quatre's my mom. Well the last one was pretty true seeing as how Quatre was the Gundam boys unofficial mother.

Kasey talked about her life too. She lived in Vermont for a while before going to high school in Florida. She decided to have some fun before college started and thus this trip was organized. Her parents also died when she was young. She was adopted by a nice couple who took good care of her.

By the time we finished with our life stories, it had been three hours. The flight to Rome is eight hours long. I sat back and decided to watch Horton Hears a Who, which was playing on a giant TV in front of the plane and on smaller TV's over the isles. I must have fallen asleep half way through the movie because next thing I knew I woke up from the plane shaking. I glanced around and noticed that many people were also in a fitful sleep, because who can honestly sleep well with turbulence.

I looked at my pillow and realized that it was Heero's shoulder that I had been leaning on. I looked at Heero ready to face his glare but he was simply staring at nothing. I shrugged and looked over at Kasey who looked over at me with wide eyes.

"What's the matter?" I whispered trying not to wake up anyone.

"uhm…Duo? Can you switch with me? Please?"

"Why?"

Kasey didn't say anything just moved back in her seat so I could see around her. Beside Kasey, the couple were…swapping spit. Aww…hell…they were making out like there was no tomorrow. Kasey looked like she was gonna die and flinched every time they moaned. I sighed, not really wanting to but nodded none the less. Relief flooded into her face. She stood up and so did I, making the awkward exchange of seats. Heero looked up when he saw me moving and then looked questioningly at me when I had sat down in seat C. I motioned with my eyes to the couple next to me.

I looked around wishing there was a stewardess that would come and kindly ask them to…stop. But of course, whenever you need them, they disappear so I sat there trying to focus on my book. That also didn't work because I would spaz because the couple kept on moaning and…making nasty sounds. Not that I minded they were gay but it was just plain awkward when you have to sit next to them and listen to it.

I gave up reading my book and blocked out the two men by blasting my Mp3 player, listening to some indy-rock band. And then just as I was starting to calm down, the two men separated. I sighed in relief but not for long because a stewardess came to stand next to me looking down at me. I pulled out my earpiece and looked up at her.

"I'm sorry, sir. But I'm going to have to ask you to turn down your music. You are disturbing some of the other passengers who are trying to sleep."

I sat stupefied. You…can't…be…serious. The two people next to me are practically having sex with their mouths and I'm the one that get's in trouble. I smiled snidely at her and then put back in my earpieces and turned the Mp3 player louder. Screw this! I glared at the stewardess, daring her to comment. She seemed shocked and then turned and left. The chubby lady that was in front of my old seat looked over and glared at me. I glared right back. A few minutes later, the couple continued their activities. I listened to my music until the P.A. turned on again and the stewardess informed us that we were going to start the decent. I put away my music and sat back waiting for the second adrenaline rush of the day.

The landing was also my favorite part of flying but not as good as taking off. Whenever we descend, it feels like my ears are gonna explode from the pressure build up. After the plane had stopped there was a rush to get to the door and off the plane. The couple next to me waved goodbye and escaped off the plane. I hope to God that they aren't on the cruise. Kasey sheepishly smiled at me.

"I'm sorry, Duo. It just got to the point where it was getting creepy."

"No, it's not your fault."

We single-filed off the plane and it turned out that the evil stewardess was the one wishing us a good trip in Rome. When she got to me, she glared and I glared right back. Of course she didn't wish me a good trip but I don't care. All three of us headed to the baggage claim area and grabbed our bags before being rushed out to a bus by some Holland American employee. We loaded into the bus and started our two hour drive to the ship. Because of the time differences, it was now eleven in Rome. Kasey and I grabbed a pair of seats and we both mashed out noses to the window, watching as Rome passed by in a blur. And so begins our vacation in Rome…

* * *

IR7: man this took me forever to write up

Duo: She means it...she was typing furiously this whole morning and afternoon...and then she'd beat the computer if it was too slow for her

IR7: well you could have helped a little

Duo: Pff...no way...besides it was funner watching you struggle...anyways you better finish those other stories before people start sending you razors in the mail

IR7: yea i know but i promise i'll finish them as soon as i finish this one

Duo: If you review fast, then she'll get the next chapter up faster

IR7: yep and please no flames...it's just a fictional story written by a crazed fangirl


	2. Chapter 2

Vacationing in Europe

By: ImmortalRain7

Summary: "No…Way! We are getting sent to Europe because some psycho killer is killing people on a cruise ship? SWEET."

Warnings: YAOI (meaning boyxboy), language, violence, Relena bashing

Pairings: HeeroxDuo, side pairing of TrowaxQuatre, onesided RelenaxHeero

Note: I have been reading Anita Blake Vampire Slayer Series lately so if my writing is a little different this is why.

Disclaimer: no I don't own Anita Blake, Gundam Wing, Holland America lines, Air Canada, or anything other than my mind and my computer.

**Duo's POV**

Chapter 2

Farms and little houses blurred by through the window of the bus as they made their way to the Noordam. Heero sat behind Kasey and my seat and he kept on staring weirdly at Kasey when he thought no one was watching. Maybe he likes her….nah. Besides…this is Heero we're talking about. I doubt he even liked his mother. Did he have a mother? Damn. I know less about him than I know about Kasey and I've known her for less than one day.

When we finally arrived at the port, we were all stunned to silence. This ship was HUGE! It towered over us as we were filed into the main entrance. We got checked in and an employee guided Heero and Kasey to their room while another employee took me to my room. I was led below the normal decks to deck C. (Here's how the decks go: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, A, (those are accessible to the guests) B, C, D, E, F, G, and H (those are the decks for the employees))

There was a large living room that had a Tv and an old couch. There were three other doors that led out of the living room. The employee, whose nametag read "Jon," led me through the door on the left. This door opened up to a long corridor with more doors leading off on the left side. We walked a long way, passing three more living rooms, before he finally stopped in front of door number 347c. He nodded and I thanked him. Just as I was reaching for the door, there was a huge crash in the room and then a string of colorful curses floated out from behind the door.

I reached for the door knob almost hesitantly. When it was halfway opened I slipped inside and looked around. There was a set of bunk beds on the left side of the room and on the right there were two chests with three drawers each. Bent over the lower bunk bed was a person dressed in a loose blue shirt and loose black slacks. The person was rummaging through a medium sized blue sports bag.

"Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Tell me I didn't forget them!" The voice was oddly higher pitched than a normal male teenager.

Since the person had said to tell them that they didn't forget whatever it was they were looking for, I decided to play along, "You didn't forget them."

The person visible froze for a few seconds before turning quickly and looking with wide eyes at me. After only 2 seconds the person screamed and swung out their fist blindly. Any other time I would have been ready for it, but I had my guard down and the fist connected to my lower right jaw. I stumbled backwards and clutched my jaw with my right hand, making sure it wasn't disconnected or cracked. Once I was sure it was fine, I turned my attention back to the person who was still screaming and who was now scrambling backwards and falling unceremoniously on to the bed.

"Wait…I'm not here to hurt you…I'm your-"

I was cut off by the door slamming open and another teenager walking in. He was definitely a foot or two taller than me and his dark hair and sharp face gave him a really mean look. He took one look at the person on the bed and then turned his glare full force on me. He walked over to me and grabbed my collar in his fists, pushing me against the wall and lifting me up a few inches from the ground. I could have easily broken his arm or hurt him in many ways but I didn't, seeing as how karate chopping a fellow employee on the first day wouldn't go over so well.

"Who are you and what did you do?" His cold, hard voice brought me out of my thoughts.

"uh…Duo Maxwell….and I didn't do a thing."

"Why are you here?"

"I work here. I think I just scared her."

The teen hesitating, giving me an analyzing look. "He is a boy."

I felt my face scrunch up in confusion. I could have bet my life on it that the other person on the lower bunk bed was a girl. When I looked back at the person on the bed, I was sure of my decision. The person was trying to look manly and if I were any other person, I would have believed the charade. In my past missions, I had to dress up like a girl. As embarrassing as it is, I admit that it's fun at times. I finally got to understand the female mind. I was actually pretty popular with the girls and even managed to get plenty of love confessions from boys while on my short missions. Now that I looked at the person on the bed, I could clearly see the femininity in her. Her face was round and her eyes were bright green. Her lips were more prominent than a man's and her neck and body were smaller and more petite.

I shook my head at the teen still holding me in the air. "No. That's a girl."

His eyes narrowed as he glared at me. Before he could say anything, the girl had gotten off the bed and slowly made her way towards me, looking at me with her head tilted to the right in confusion. She stopped beside the man and looked up at me, since she only came up to the man's upper arm. His eyes flitted to hers and they had a silent conversation with their eyes.

This was among one of the things that really bothered me. Even though it is convenient to be able to communicate with your eyes to a partner, it is just plain annoying to anyone else that has no idea what they could possible be saying. I stayed there, pushed against the wall, and watched as they talked for a few minutes. After the first few seconds, I got bored and decided to entertain myself.

One of the many things that a gundam pilot needs is patience, which I don't have. So to keep me occupied, I do random things in my mind. For example, one of the missions forced me to watch a priest, so I had to come to all his masses and listen to the same sermon twenty times. I had entertained myself by looking at other people in the church until the person I was staring at got the spine chilling feeling that they were being stalked. Usually the person would look around at the other people to see if anyone else was looking at them. Then they would spot me and even though social manners tell people to look away when they are caught staring, I would continue to stare at them. They would usually look else where and try and act like they didn't know I was staring at them. Then when they thought I wasn't looking anymore, they would glance at me only to find out that I was still staring at them. That used to keep me entertained for hours on end.

This time I didn't have anyone else to make squirm by staring at them, so I decided to use my other pastime and just stare off into space. I wonder what Heero is doing right now? He's probably turning on his stupid computer and typing some mission statement to the professors. He's probably already unpacked everything and set it into its proper place. He's so O.C.D. I bet Kasey is probably exploring the cruise ship. I would be doing the same, but I'm kind of _held _up…Get it? _Held_ up. Jeez, no one appreciates my humor.

The two in front of me had finished their conversation and the teen holding me nodded and gently lowered me to the floor and let go of my collar. Although I'm kind of pissed that he had me captive the whole time, I have to give him a brownie point for having the upper body strength to hold me up for that long – even though I don't weigh that much.

"Sorry bout that. My name is Jacob." Even though he apologized, he still didn't look like he was very happy with me.

"Hello. My name Becca." Becca's voice was higher than it had been when I had walked in, so she must change it to sound deeper and more like a man's voice. "I'm terribly sorry about Jake. He meant well. It's just…there are some complications."

I nodded. I figured there was something going on because for one there was a girl in the all boys' employee cruise ship. Except for a few upper level captains and experts, there were no girl employees.

She walked back to the bed and sat down, motioning me to do the same. I sat next to her and Jake leaned against the wall adjacent to the bunk beds with his arms crossed and looking quite pissed about the whole thing.

"Well, before I explain anything, I was just wondering if you could shed some light as to how you knew I was a girl and not some feminine boy." I could tell the way she ended the sentence that she wanted to add on 'like yourself.'

"Well, because of some…past experiences I know how to tell a girl from a boy. Don't worry. Any normal person wouldn't be able to tell the difference."

She visibly sighed and then looked back at me with strong eyes. "You see, because of some complications at my home, I had to leave quickly. I didn't have a job or a home and my small money was starting to disappear. That's when I met Jake. He also was having problems with his home. His parents which are very rich wanted him to marry their pre-arranged fiancé. But Jake didn't like her and she didn't like him. She had actually fallen in love with another man and so to save her and himself from the unwanted marriage, he had took his belongings and moved to a small apartment. Jake took me in and I started at a job with him. We had a steady income and we both split the costs of food and other things in the apartment. We were…happy."

She sort of zoned out and I could tell she was reliving the memories. She blinked and startled herself out of the stupor and then continued with her tale. "And then his family finally tracked him down. They threatened me with dept and other things that would happen to my family and friends. Jake couldn't have it and we both ran away again. We were lost at what to do next but then a flyer caught our eye and we saw the ad to work on a cruise ship for a couple of months. We flew here and stayed at my relative's house for a while before coming here. Since this is the only way that I can come on the ship and still receive payment, I have to keep my identity a secret. So…please…will you not tell anyone?" Her innocence showed as she looked earnestly at me, hoping I would say the right answer.

I smiled and nodded. "Of course I'll keep it a secret. Heck, I'll even help you keep it from others."

She smiled happily and I couldn't help but notice that she was really beautiful when she smiled. I smiled back and we stayed smiling at each other for a while. Jake broke the silence by grunting and shrugging off the wall. He walked to the door and left without a word. Becca looked back at me and smiled apologetically.

"Sorry about him. He just doesn't like the idea that on our first day someone else knows. He also doesn't like the idea of me sharing a room with you or any other guy."

I nodded in agreement. She was really cute and any sensible straight guy would fall for her. Even in disguise as a guy, she would be considered a cute girly guy. Fortunately for her, I'm gay so she'll be safe with me…but how do I say that to her. Hmm.

"Don't worry, Becca. You'll be safe with me." I smiled my best. I was about to add the gay part but I didn't wanna scare her.

"So what part of the ship are you working on?"

"I'm working as an extra person so wherever someone needs help, I'll be there. How about you?"

"Oh! Jake and I are working on the Lido deck in the restaurant. We'd better get dressed soon. There is a mandatory employee meeting before we leave dock, and then a life boat emergency drill after that with the entire guest."

"Oh Happy Joy!" I definitely put some sarcasm in that sentence.

I walked over to my duffle bag and grabbed some clothes and stuffed them in the unoccupied chest. After finishing that, I grabbed the set of clothes the ship gives you which will be your employee outfit. All the outfits were a blue button up short sleeve shirt with a little print on the chest pocket which will state where you work. Mine had a giant 'X' on the pocket while Becca's had a 'Lido' on her's. With the blue top was a pair of black slacks that went down to the ankle. Whoever had assigned the sizes for the clothes was very off with Becca and mine. Our shirt's sleeves went to below our elbows and our slacks were dragging whenever we moved.

"So, Becca, what do I call you when we're around other people?"

"Oh, my boy name is Nick."

I nodded and then we met Jake in front of his room, number 359c. The first thing Jake did when he saw us was glare at me. I smiled my best and then followed behind the pair in front of me. Jake and Becca were whispering to each other, trying to keep me from hearing their conversation. But once again, Gundam pilot training has come in handy. I could hear their whispered conversation from five feet behind them. Point for me.

"Did he do anything?" Jake's voice was low and angry.

"No, he was a perfect gentleman. He said that I would be safe with him and I think we should believe him." Becca's voice was changed so that it was lower in the octaves and sounding more manly.

"I still don't like it."

Becca sighed and shook her head. The hallway was starting to get crowded as more and more employees left there new rooms and piled into the hallway, all heading the same direction. We eventually got to a large room where there were already over one hundred employees sitting in the fold up chairs. There was a stage on the far end of the room and on it were about five or six dudes in white shiny uniforms that had little medals and pendants to prove their ranking. Jake, Becca, and then me filed into one of the rows of chairs and sat down. By the time everyone got into their seats, there were about six hundred people in the large room. The first man on the stage stood up and cleared his throat into the microphone to get everyone's attention.

"Now then. Welcome, newest employees. I would like for you all to do your best in giving the guests the best service all the time. Your first shift will start after this meeting. First off, I would like to go through the rules. Rule number one, follow all of the guests requests. Even if they may seem weird, they are still the customer so they are always right. Rule number two, follow your upper ranking officer's orders. That means if one of your commanding officers tells you to do something, you'll do it without any backtalk."

Damn. Are we in the military or a cruise ship? That was the same exact rule they gave us while training in the military. Psh, I didn't follow the rules there so I probably won't follow them here either.

"Up next is your captain. He will be all over the ship during this voyage and if you should see him, you should respectfully say hello to him. I am the head of the employee department so if you have any questions about anything at all, please feel free to ask me. Now before we start the life boat drill I would like to see all extra helps."

I turned to Becca and Jake. "Well, that's me. I'll see ya later."

Jake nodded and I could tell he was happy that I was leaving. Becca also nodded and then waved. I turned and made my way back out of the row full of boys. It's a damn awkward trying to get out of a row of chairs that are practically squishing each other. I pretty much had to climb on the laps of the boys to get out of the tight row. And I could swear I felt a few boys touching my ass. Back off, boys, it ain't yours.

I finally made it and walked up the rows of chairs to the stage and then off to the right side of the stage. I could feel people's eyes boring into my back as I walked there. There were only about eight people standing with me, which means that's a hell of a lotta work for each of us. The dude on the stage dismissed all the other employees and they left with a lot of voices and scraping of chairs. The dude then walked over to the extra helps after every other employee had left.

"Alright. You boys will be all over the ship working your ass off in all the departments. Since there is no real good way to contact you, we are handing out walkie-talkies which will be used to contact you and tell you where to work. The cruise ship is on channel 3."

A box was brought out with some pretty new looking walkie-talkies. We each grabbed one and turned it on to channel 3 and then hooked it in our pant's waist line.

"Keep it on at all time – even while you are sleeping. I have a list of your names so I will first call your name and then you will report to the assigned duty immediately. You are dismissed."

I walked with the other boys towards the rooms again. Most of them were in their mid-twenties but there was another boy about nineteen who walked next to me.

"Hey, I'm Duo."

"Hi, I'm Pete."

The boy was about three or four inches taller than me and a little bit larger but he had a sort of puppy dog attitude. After a few minutes of talking with him, he was really excited and open with me. By the time I got to my room, he was practically bouncing while he walked. I said goodbye and entered the room to find Becca rummaging through her stuff and throwing things all over the place.

"Uh, Nick?"

"Huh? Oh, Duo. Sorry about the mess. I'll clean it up soon as I can."

I shrugged. "No rush. Whatcha looking for?"

Becca seemed to freeze. She slowly looked up at me and put her shoulder's up in a position that screamed that she was guilty of something.

"Can I ask a favor of you?"

"Yea of course."

"Well, do you think you could bring something from one of the guest supplies?"

I narrowed my eyes. What could be so important that she had to get it from the guests? Wait a second…She is a girl. That means…

I could feel my eyes widen the second I realized what she was asking for. I shook my head like there was no tomorrow.

"No Way! I can't do that. What if someone finds out?"

"Please. You're the only one that has access everywhere. I really need your help. Besides you said you would help me when I needed it."

I grumbled. She had me there. I said I would help her and I never lie or break promises.

"Alright. Here's how it goes: I will get you into the supply closet, and then you will grab…them."

She squealed. "Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!"

She was jumping around the room and then jumped on me and almost knocked me over. She hugged me and then danced back around the room, picking up the mess that she had made. So that's what she was looking for when I first came in here. I sighed. What have I gotten myself into.

"Listen, Becca. I gotta go see these two guests and then I'll probably be exploring the ship, so I'll hopefully see you around."

"Wait, you already know guests?"

"Yea, they were on the plane I flew over here on."

"Cool. You have to introduce us when you can."

"Ok. Peace out."

I grabbed my wallet that had my card key that would get me access to any place on the entire ship. I walked up to the elevator and then went straight to level 5, the Verandah deck. There were two hallways, one on the right and one on the left. They each had rooms on each side. I went to the right side first, watching the numbers pass. By the time I realized that the right side only had even numbers, I was three-fourths of the way to the back of the ship. There were three sets of elevators on the entire ship, one in the front, one in the middle, and one in the back. I had rode up to level 5 on the front elevator. Now I was at the back elevator. I crossed to the left side and then backtracked until I finally found room 5039, Heero's room.

I slid in my card and then entered the room. I turned around and saw the barrel of a gun pointed straight at my head. I immediately put up my hands in surrender.

"Don't shoot. It's me, Duo."

Heero scoffed. "You should have knocked. I was prepared to blow your head away."

"Nice to see you too, Heero."

"What took you so long to report in?"

"Sor-ry, Heero. I didn't know you were worried about me." I grinned evilly. "We had to report for an employee meeting. Man, this place is like the navy or something. We were told to report to our commanding officers and stuff. Anyways, I met a nice…boy."

I was about to say girl but I quickly caught myself. Unfortunately, Heero noticed my pause.

"What do you mean?"

"Uh….nothing, Heero. It was nothing. Anyways, my roommates a boy, Nick, and he's pretty cool. Kinda girly, though. And he has his best friend, Jake, who hates my living guys already."

I was about to mention the whole 'slammed into a wall by jealous boyfriend and then held there for a few minutes while they made out with their eyes' but I decided not to.

While i was lost in my thoughts, Heero walked back over to me and put his hand on my right cheek.

"What happened to your jaw?"

"Huh?" Realization hit me. "Oh, i just...ran into a...wall...no biggy. Hey, Heero. I'm gonna go say hi to Kasey. I'll see you later."

Heero 'hn'ed and I left. I crossed the hallway and knocked on Kasey's door. A few seconds later, she opened the door.

"Oh, Duo. Hey! How's your new employment job going?"

"Oh, you know. The usual. Hehe…anyways how's your room?"

"It's huge! And the Verandah is so pretty. Come on, I'll show you."

She grabbed my hand and dragged me into the room. To the left was a tiny bathroom and to the right were three huge closets. We walked more into the room and then to the right was a queen sized bed that took up a lot of the room. There was also a couch next to the bed and a medium sized Tv hanging on the top corner of the room. At the end of the room, there was a glass wall with a glass door on the right side. She opened the door and stepped out to the Verandah. She walked over to the balcony and leaned out over the ledge. I followed right behind her. The Verandah was far up from the ground seeing as how we were still docked at the Rome dock until we finished the lifeboat drill. I looked over and down and saw that there were two other verandah decks below us that were jutting out a little more than the higher up ones.

( this is what it looks like:

highest verandah

higher verandah

Kasey's verandah

higher verandah

lowest verandah)

Below us there were only a handful of people that were on their verandahs. Kasey nudged me and then pointed to a verandah that was down one level and to the right. She giggled and I joined in. There was an overly chubby man sitting on his chair and he was so big that he was practically falling out of the too small chair. He had white all over his face where he had put on sunscreen and hadn't rubbed it in. He was snoring so loud that I'm amazed the ship didn't rock every time he breathed in. Kasey and my giggling was interrupted by my walkie-talkie buzzing to life.

A scratchy voice came over the channel 3 to all extra employees. "Duo Maxwell, Duo Maxwell. Report to the tenth level observation room with Captain James Peerson. Once again, Duo Maxwell report to the tenth level observation room with Captain James Peerson."

I looked apologetically at Kasey. "Sorry. I gotta go. Duty calls."

She giggled and said goodbye. I left the verandah and turned to the closest elevator and up to the tenth floor. From the elevator, I took a left and entered the 'Staff Only' observation room. Captain James Peerson was standing at attention with his arms behind his back and his legs spread shoulder width apart. He was barking out orders to the scrambling employees. He turned when he saw me.

"You. Do you know anything about an engine or how to pilot advanced machinery?"

Um…DUH. "Yes, sir."

"Good. Start the V-17 engine and check the pressure points of the ship. Also prepare the cylinders for push off." (Note: I know shit about engines and mechanical stuff like this, so all of these parts are just random words taken off of Wikipedia. If you know what's good for you, just ignore the next paragraph because it's all B.S.)

I nodded and walked over to the gauges, checking each of them. Oddly enough, this ship's gears looked a lot like the Gundam's controls. The pressure gauge at the back end of the ship was off so I flipped the air switch and leveled out the pressure. I could feel the captain's eyes following my every move but I ignored him and finished leveling out the ship. I walked over to the opposite side of observation deck and pulled the watering lever which cleaned out the cylinders. Next, I pushed the pre-oiled button which sent the oil down the cylinders. I noticed that the combustion chamber was too far open so I let some of the air out of the chamber but still keeping it in regulation. When I had finished, I reported back to the captain who nodded in satisfaction.

"You have good knowledge about engine's and mechanics." Even though he said it as a statement, I still nodded. "For now that is all but I will probably request you to help in some of the docking and leaving ports. That is all."

I nodded. At least I get to play around with huge mechanical engines. Sounds fun to me. Just as I was leaving the observation room, I heard the lifeboat drill sound, signaling that it had ended. Good thing. I hate those drills. I watched as people flooded into the elevators wearing giant life jackets that were way too big for them. Among the throng of people, I found Heero. He had taken off his life jacket and was carrying it effortlessly in his right hand. I walked up next to him and he nodded his greeting.

"So how was the drill?" I couldn't help but snicker at him. He ignored me, like usual. "I'm kinda sad that I missed you in that giant over sized orange life vest. Will you put it on for again for me?" I smiled sweetly at him. His face darkened and he walked past the elevators and to the stairs.

"Hey, Heero. Aren't you gonna take the elevators? They're way easier."

"No. They are giant metal death traps that are way too crowded. I couldn't defend myself easily if I were in one."

I sighed. That's Heero for you. Perfect soldier 24-7. I was about to follow him up the steps but stopped when I heard my name on the walkie-talkie for the second time that day.

"Duo Maxwell, Duo Maxwell. Please report to the Lido deck restaurant. Please report to the Lido deck restaurant."

Man. The elevator would be way better than this. Now I have to climb six flights of stairs to get to the ninth deck Lido restaurant. But on the lighter side, that's where Becca and Jake are working. I arrived at the ninth floor without even breaking a sweat. The Lido restaurant was full of guests moving this way and that way grabbing food and carrying trays. The dinner chefs were cooking and filling orders as quickly as possible.

The head of the restaurant walked over to me. He had that French look and even had the moustache to go with it. When he walked he had a sort of prance that made it look like he sashayed his way through the crowds. Definitely gay.

"Well…I guess you're my help. Just go pick up some trays or something." His talk was also screaming out 'GAY.' His 's' were slurred and he barely pronounced the 't.'

I nodded and walked away towards some abandoned tables that were piled high with empty trays and dirty plates and cups. I piled the trays and put the dirty cups and plates on the trays. I was so engrossed in my piling adventures that when I turned around with my hands piled high with dirty clothes, I bumped into some guest. The trays tipped from the disturbance and they splattered to the ground, breaking a few cups and plates in the process. The guest, which happened to be a prissy teen that obviously couldn't get over himself, sneered down at me.

"How dare you bump into me and spill dirt on me? Who do you think you are?"

"I'm terribly sorry, sir. Please allow me to get you some towels." Ugh, I hate sucking up to people but I couldn't lash out at the customer.

His eyes narrowed in thought when he looked down at me closer. He 'hm'ed and then nodded his head but it wasn't in answer to my question.

"Well, I guess I can forgive a pretty little girl like you. Why don't you and I go hang out in my room for a while."

"I'm sorry, sir. But that is against the rules."

"Come on, girly. Play hooky with me. I'll make it worth it."

The bastard reached up his hand and cupped my cheek, stroking it slightly, as if that was enough to make me change my mind. I was about to tell the guy to back off or I'd kick his ass, when another arm reached in between me and the guest, separating us.

"Touching the employees without their permission is against the rules. I will have to ask you to leave."

For a second I thought that one of the other employees had come to my rescue but when I looked at my savior, I tried really hard to not fall down. Standing in front of me was none other than Heero himself. He had a completely emotionless face that definitely had some authority in it. The bastard sneered but turned away anyways. I was about to say thanks to Heero but he turned to me faster than I could say anything.

"What do you think you're doing? Letting yourself get caught off guard like that. What if that had been the killer? Stay on guard at all times."

"Gee, Heero. Thanks for saving me. I owe you one." That was definitely sarcasm. How dare he lector me about staying on guard. "Besides, all of the deaths have happened at night when there is no one around."

Heero and I glared at each other in an unspoken battle for dominance. I finally broke it with a shake of my head and bent down to pick up the pieces of the broken dishes. After a few seconds, Heero also bent down and started gathering pieces. When we had finally got them in two piles, I grabbed them both and left Heero standing in the dining area. 'Mr. Gay' head of the restaurant walked up to me and tsk-ed.

"Broke my beautiful plates on the first day. How terrible. You're now on cleaning duty. Have fun scrubbing those dirty plates."

I set to work washing, drying, and stacking the dirty dishes that had no end. It was past eleven o'clock by the time I finished my work. I shuffled back to my room and saw that Becca was fast asleep on the lower bunk bed. I quietly got ready for bed and then climbed into the top bunk and closing my eyes for some well earned rest.

* * *

IM7: Jeez...for some reason i couldn't come up with any good characters for Duo's roomate.

Duo: Yea well it took you long enough. Anyways, from now on, she is going to try and upload a chapter every week.

IM7: yep...anyways, i was completely sad this past week because i had like 130 people read my first chapter and only three people reviewed. It made me wanna cry.

Duo: Cry baby

IM7: Shut up!

Duo: but it is true none the less. I also have a question for all those fanfiction viewers: Are there any boys that write Fanfics? I mean...all of the profiles i have viewed are crazy fangirls (Cough IM7 cough) that write fics.

IM7: true that...so if there are any boys that write fanfics...please review so i can like...read ur stories!! See ya next week!

Duo: PLEAZ Review!!


	3. Chapter 3

Vacationing in Europe

By: ImmortalRain7

Summary: "No…Way! We are getting sent to Europe because some psycho killer is killing people on a cruise ship? SWEET."

Warnings: YAOI (meaning boyxboy), language, violence, Relena bashing

Pairings: HeeroxDuo, side pairing of TrowaxQuatre, onesided RelenaxHeero

Note: I have been reading Anita Blake Vampire Slayer Series lately so if my writing is a little different this is why.

Disclaimer: no I don't own Anita Blake, Gundam Wing, Holland America lines, Air Canada, or anything other than my mind and my computer.

**Duo's POV**

Chapter 3:

The soldier part of my mind instantly recognized the click of the room door. I stayed still, playing the part of being asleep until I knew if the intruder was a friend or enemy. I could hear the soft breathing of Becca in the bunk below mine, so she couldn't be the intruder. I opened my eye slighting, glad that I chose to sleep so that my head was facing the door. A dark silhouette was standing still with the door still wide open behind him/her. I doubted it was a girl because this person had short dark hair that was ruffled. Also his body was muscular but still slim. The intruder stepped lightly into the room, his feet not making a sound at all. He seemed to be searching the room for something…or someone. His face tilted up and his eyes stopped searching, landing on my bunk. He crept into the room more until he was right in front of my head.

"Duo."

I sat up and looked at the intruder. "Heero? What the hell are you doing here?"

"We have to start investigating for the research. Get out of bed."

I moaned but got out of bed, nonetheless. I grabbed a pair of pants and slipped them on over my boxers and then grabbed a t-shirt. I had to run after Heero, still holding my t-shirt in one hand, because he had decided to leave. I slipped on my shirt and then looked back over to Heero.

"What time is it?"

"Four fourty-five."

"In the morning?"

He nodded. I groaned. You have got to be kidding me. I only got five hours of sleep and I haven't even had coffee yet and Heero expects me to be able to function properly.

"I'm gonna grab some really strong coffee. I'll meet you in your room."

Heero nodded again and he went into the first elevator with me next to him. He pushed level five and I pushed level nine. He left without a word when we got to his level. I almost started falling asleep in the elevator with no one else in it. To keep myself awake, I started humming the tune to Claire de Lune. I got about one fourth way through by the time I made it to the Lido deck restaurant. I walked into the kitchen. There were about ten chefs already working to make breakfast for the guests. Since today was a day at sea, the Lido deck was going to be open all day long for the guest's non-stop eating fest.

I waved to them and then grabbed a giant cup and filled it to the brim with the already made coffee. I exited the kitchen and made my way back to deck five. It was now five in the morning and a few people were walking around the walking deck, getting their exercise for the day. I didn't bother knocking on the door and just entered. Heero was sitting at a giant table on the far side of the room. Spread over the table were random papers that had names, faces, and info.

"Here are the three people that have died so far and information on them. Next are the people that they hung around that were similar in all three cases."

I grabbed the first victim. It was a male about twenty. He was smiling in the picture and had light brown hair that was parted to the left. His hazel eyes were shining with laughter and he seemed like an all around nice guy. His name was Michael P. Simons. Born in Nevada, U.S. of A. He had no bad marks on his permanent record. On his personal behaviors, there was nothing out of the ordinary except that he was a 'lady killer.' So his cute personality attracted girls. He was killed some time between one in the morning and five in the morning. He died by multiple knife wounds and many bruises.

The second victim was Charles J. Hill. He was younger, around seventeen or eighteen. His brown hair went to his shoulder and was layered. His dark eyes were unsmiling. His stoic face in the picture was nothing like the first victim's smiling face, but it was very attractive. Born in California, U.S.A. He had one speeding ticket on his permanent record but nothing out of the ordinary. He was also commented on having many girls falling for him. He turned down each of them. He was killed between one in the morning and four in the morning. He was choked to death.

The third victim's picture was of a gentle looking boy, about nineteen. He had a soft look in his eye that wasn't exactly smiling but it was any thing but stoic. He had dark brown hair that was cut shorter than normal. He looked like the kind of person that people would go to in times of need. They had him filed as Peter H. Mitchell. Born in Virginia, U.S.A. No marks on his permanent record. For the third time, it showed that he was liked by the girl population. He was killed between midnight and six in the morning. He was drowned in the front pool.

I sighed and leaned back in my chair, closing my eyes. I hated reading about dead people. It made me miss them even though I never even knew them. I just hope I can stop it before the next victim is killed. I opened my eyes and looked over at Heero.

"Well, so far, the pattern is male, brown hair, pretty eyes, twenty or younger, and a girl magnet."

"Keep your eyes out for guests that match the description while on duty today. Also…keep yourself armed all the time."

Heero pulled out a heavy wooden box from a hidden compartment under the bed. He opened it. It was filled with all the different kinds of weapons a person would need in a lifetime. It had guns, knifes, explosives, and I swear that the weapon on the left side is a fire thrower. I grabbed a shoulder holster and stripped from my employee shirt. I strapped on the holster and grabbed a Browning Hi-Power 9 mm gun and shoved it into the holster. I also grabbed a thigh sheath, along with a sharp knife, and an ankle sheath with another sharp knife. Strapping them on, I made sure that I could easily reach them, while they were still hidden with my clothes.

Heero nodded when I finished and I said goodbye. I walked back up to the Lido deck, using the stairs this time. I entered the kitchen and saw that it was filled with chefs, all running around, trying to prepare breakfast. I filled my cup of coffee again and watched as they cooked the eggs and breads that they would need. As I sipped my coffee, I kept a careful eye out for people who matched the details. So far I had found none. I was about to fill up my coffee cup again but stopped when a voice came from my left side.

"Oh my, my. Here to ruin my kitchen again?"

I didn't even have to turn to know it was the head of the restaurant, but I still turned to glare at him. He was wearing a fancy blue suit with a little nametag that identified him as Reeve, the manager of the Lido restaurant. He was scowling down at me, one hand on his hip and the other leaning against the counter.

"Yep, you caught me. I _live_ to destroy your precious kitchen." If he was gonna play mean, so was I.

He scrunched up his nose in disgust, but he turned and left. I dumped my cup in the sink and followed him out of the kitchen. Glancing at my watch, I realized that it was already seven. A trickle of guests were coming into the restaurant, looking eagerly at all the food. I decided to slip out and finish exploring the rest of the cruise ship. The shoulder holster was really uncomfortable but I ignored it and jogged up the stairs that were to the right of the entrance to the Lido deck.

Walking down a short hallway, I came to three doors. One door led out side, one door led to an arcade, and the last door led to a dark, wide room with a wall of Tvs and a stereo blasting music. I decided the third door was the best. I walked in. To the right was a bar that had alcohol advertised. To the left was a wide dance floor with a disco ball in the middle. On the left side of the dance floor was the wall of Tv's and a few bean bags in front. I flopped down on the center been bag, reaching for a nearby remote control. Just as I started flipping through the channels, the walkie talkie went off.

"Duo Maxwell. Get to the Lido restaurant."

This was definitely the voice of Reeve, the mean manager. Great. More dishes to clean. I grunted and stood up from the all too comfy bean bag. I trudged down the hallway and down the stairs, re-entering the Lido restaurant for the third time that morning. Reeve was standing there waiting for me.

"Missed me already?" I put on an innocent voice and looked up at him.

"Psh, you wish. I just need someone to clean up the trays. This time, don't break any."

I resisted sticking my tongue out at him, opting instead to nod and walk away. I grabbed the nearest tray and dirty dishes. Finally remember that I was supposed to watch the guests I looked around at the ones closest to the table I was cleaning. I took my time stacking the dishes. One girl to the left would have fit the bill perfectly, except the fact that she was a girl. Damn.

I dumped the dishes in the sink and walked out to watch the other guests. Most of the guests spoke English, so I could easily follow their conversations. Most of the conversations were boring and completely useless…although, I did learn that bees do not like to be sprayed by a garden hose…who would've thunk it?

In my mind I could only two people who could fit the description, but even then it wasn't perfect. One of the dudes was about twenty five so he wasn't in the age limit. The other was shy and stuttered whenever spoken to, so he obviously couldn't be popular with the women. I sighed again and looked at my watch. Nine o'clock.

A group of giggling girls shook me out of my thoughts. There were about six teenage girls that were grouped together, giggling and whispering behind their hands. One of them giggled and pointed to the entrance of the restaurant and the others followed her hand. I leaned over the table I was cleaning to look also. Walking in through the sliding glass doors, was none other than Heero himself. Please tell me you are joking. The girls were practically dying of happiness when Heero walked towards them, only to get into line behind them. Heero glanced over at me, nodding once. I stuck out my tongue in response. Yes, it was childish but I can't believe that the girls are going crazy over Heero….HEERO!? The guy that could break your neck in two seconds and not feel any guilt…the guy that was so unsocial that it should be a crime.

What the hell do girls see in him? I glanced back up at him. It's true that his ruffled hair gave him a bad ass looking image. His dark piercing eyes could pull you in with one glance. His tall and muscled body practically made you want to drool. There was a way that he walked that screamed….

I shook my head furiously. There was no way in hell I could be thinking this about my best friend. I continued cleaning and eventually walked away from him and the giggling girls. I looked around and saw that all the tables were clean and most of the guests had finished breakfast. I wandered up to a group of employees that were leaning against the counter, waiting for something to do. The first two employees were laughing uncontrollably, holding on to each other for support. The last three watched but still chuckled themselves.

I took a deep breath before walking up to them and smiling my best. "Hi, I'm Duo."

The first two were still in their own little world, laughing about some inside joke, but the last three looked up at me and smiled slightly. The man closest to me was the first to talk.

"Hey. I'm Joe. This is Tam and Al. And those two monkeys over there are Sam and Andy. This your first cruise?"

"Uh…yea. How'd you know?"

"Newbies are always shy and they actually do work more than the others. We were watching you clean tables and stuff."

Dang. I didn't even know I was being watched. I smiled kinda awkwardly. It was the smile that you use when you have no idea what to say after finding out that you were being stalked by dudes that were high on laughing gas. I shrugged mentally. Just another normal day in the life of Duo Maxwell.

"So what's with the stoic dude?" The laughing one named Andy had stopped laughing enough to stare at me with wide curious eyes. He pointed vaguely towards a table where Heero was sitting alone, sipping coffee and watching people.

"uh…What do you mean?"

"I mean, who is he? He kinda nodded to you when he came in so we figured that you knew him."

"uh…yea. He's my…friend, Heero."

"Damn…check out how many girls are stalking him." Sam laughed even harder.

I glanced around and saw that it was true. Half the girls around him were drooling and the other half was just standing there staring at him. I don't see how it didn't bother him. I shook my head turning back to the group.

"I kinda feel bad for the girls…Hee-chan is just gonna ignore them all. I doubt he even noticed that they're staring."

The group laughed. After that the ice broke and we could talk freely. I found out that all five of the employees were on the cruise when the murders had occurred.

"Who do you think did it?" I know I hated gossip, but if it helped find the killer sooner, than I would deal with it.

Tam smiled. "Personally, I think it's Zachary. He's this really rich bastard that mean to everyone but he gets away with it because he's a babe magnet and he's a billionare. He hits on every person he gets his hands on, but he's really picky. The person has to be extremely pretty. And he doesn't care about gender but he's more into the guys than girls."

I nodded, filing the information away for later use. "Why would he kill someone?"

"Duh, cause he can get away with it. He's got enough cash to buy out the entire United States."

Al shook his head at Tam. "I don't actually think it's Zachary. He may be a bastard but he can be nice if he's not hitting on you. I think it is one of his fan girls that stalk him around the ship. They're very territorial of him and if he takes any interest in someone, the girls will attack the poor dude. I'd say it's either Ashley, or Meredith."

Before we could continue, Reeve walked up to our group. He sighed and rolled his eyes at us. "Honestly, if you're not going to do any work, why do you even show up?"

"But, Ree-babe, we would be bored without you to entertain us." I smiled innocently up at him. He scowled while the group laughed.

"Well, well. I can't say I'm surprised that you found the trouble group. I suggest that you get outside and wait on some customers or you will find yourself over the side of the boat."

I pouted, sticking my tongue out, but waved goodbye to the rest of the guys. I decided to talk to Heero first. I slid into the chair across from Heero and he looked up from his coffee.

"So I found out that one of the customers is a major bastard that hits on cute people like there's no tomorrow. But apparently his fan club doesn't enjoy it so they have jealous pouts and attack the poor dude that was hit on. One of the employees thinks that one of the fan girls would be the killer. It's not much but it's enough to work off of. I'll keep an eye out for this 'Zachary' and his fan girls and let ya know."

Heero nodded and I slipped out before Reeve could say anything else. Outside on the back deck, guests were lounging around in comfy seats or tanning beds that allowed you to lay back. A handful of guests were soaking in the pool. Before I could finish looking around, a hand shot into the air and grabbed the front of my employee shirt. I looked down and saw that a man in his forties, sitting in a comfy seat, looking up at me with cruel look in his eyes.

"Waiter, I want a slice of watermelon and a cup of iced tea."

I stood still for a few seconds just staring at the man. Could he actually be serious? He had feet, why didn't he use them instead of ordering me around. I turned and walked back into the restaurant and straight up to Reeve.

"Are they allowed to order me to get food for them?" The anger in my voice was crystal clear.

"Duh, Maxwell. That's why you are here. To serve the guests in any way they want."

I growled but stomped to the buffet line. Grabbing a slice of watermelon and a cup of iced tea, I stomped back out to the guest. He smiled but I could tell was forcing it. I walked away, trying with all my might not to beat up the guest. Another guest on the tanning bed was waving me over. She was younger, in her twenties. She smiled at me and I suppose she was trying to look sexy.

"Would you mind rubbing some suntan lotion on my back?" She looked up from under her eyelashes and batted them at me. Her voice was high pitched and yet rough. This chick was seriously trying to seduce me.

Since I was a server so I had to obey their every wish, I nodded and took the lotion out of her hand. She turned in the tanning bed to lay on her back and I squeezed a little lotion on my hand. I took a deep breath before starting to rub the Coppertone SPF 40. She moaned sensually and I tried to ignore the stares that we were receiving from the other females that were close by. I finally finished the embarrassing task and the chick turned back around to look at me.

"Thank you _so_ much."

I nodded in reply and all but ran away, only to be stopped by another woman, this one was definitely in her fifties.

"Hi, do you think you could get me an apple and a bunch of taters?" Her southern accent was almost unbearable. I nodded and returned back to the restaurant, returning a few minutes later with her apple and 'taters' in hand.

I looked around and saw that Heero was trying to make it look like he wasn't watching me by holding a book up to his face, covering all but his eyes. I smirked and walked over to Heero, ignoring other people who tried to call me to get something they needed. His eyes flickered up to me when I stopped in front of his chair. He was one of the lucky ones that grabbed a chair in the shade.

"May I assist you in any way, sir?" I said in a mock butler voice.

Heero snorted. "Yes, get me a double mocha latte and a bologna sandwhich."

"Hee-ro, no one eats bologna anymore. Jeez, don't you know that ham is the new bologna?"

Heero snorted again. I turned and started heading towards the restaurant. I was halfway through the sliding door when another person called for a server on the deck. I turned halfway but when no one responded, I turned back again, this time running into someone's strong, muscled chest. I stumbled backwards but was held upright by the arms grabbing my upper arms. I pulled back suddenly, without even looking at who I ran into, and laughed sheepishly.

"I'm terribly sorry about that, sir. Is there any…..thing…" I couldn't help but stop speaking when I looked up into the face of a boy in his lower twenties with blond hair that was about a foot taller than me. This was the same bastard that I had ran into when I was carrying the tray full of dirty dishes yesterday.

He sneered down at me, "Well, looky here. It's the little girly boy. I believe that is the second time you have run into me. This is becoming a habit." He stepped closer and I stepped backwards.

Before he could step closer or say anything else, a bunch of girls came out of the restaurant and came running up to surround the bastard and me.

"Zachary, are you ok?"

"Was this bitch bothering you?"

"How dare you go near our precious Zachary!?"

I blinked. Wait a minute. Was this the guy that Tam and Al were talking about? It's true that he fit their description perfectly with his cocky and flirtatious attitude. Not to mention the fan girls, who were staring murderously at me. Zachary ignored the girls and grabbed my collar, pulling my face close to his.

"Now then, girly. You'll have to beg on all fours for my forgiveness. And even then, I might not accept your apology."

My eyes narrowed. "What makes you think I'm going to apologize?"

He smirked. "Oh, you'll be begging me by the end of this cruise."

He suddenly let go of my collar and I stumbled backwards from the sudden imbalance. Zachary stalked off to an open sun bed and laid down, tanning himself. I growled at his retreating form but turned towards the kitchen. I grabbed Heero's bologna sandwich and a soda, since the kitchen didn't offer Mochas. I also grabbed myself a ham sandwich and another soda, since I hadn't had anything to eat the whole day. I carefully balanced the two plates on one arm and the two sodas in the other hand. Pushing the kitchen door open with my back, I ran straight into Becca. She smiled and held the door open for me.

"Hey, Duo. How's it going?" She talked in her falsely low voice.

I smiled back. "Not bad. How's the Lido?"

She shrugged. "Mostly it's cleaning the tables and stuff. Are you working on the outside deck as a waiter?"

"Yeah and so far it really sucks. Well, gotta go. See ya later."

She nodded and I walked towards the deck but not before receiving an evil glare from Jake who was wiping off a table nearby. I plopped down next to Heero's chair on the deck floor, my back leaning against the wall. His chair was positioned against the far wall so that his back was to the wall and he could observe all the people. He looked funny at me before taking a bite out of his sandwich. After a few minutes, it was obvious that Heero wasn't going to start a conversation, so I started it.

"Hey, Heero. Got any victims for the next murder?"

He nodded. "The male on the third row of sun beds."

I looked towards the beds. One teen did stick out above the rest in the third row. He had brown hair that went down to his neck but was unruly and stuck out in random directions. He was currently lying on his back and he looked like he had fallen asleep in the warmth of the sun because his mouth was slightly open. He was definitely taller than Heero and he could probably easily be a basketball player with his lanky arms and legs. The teen was receiving a few glances here and there from passing girls but not enough to be an actual victim.

Heero nodded his head to the middle section of the sun beds. "The first one on the fifth row."

I looked there and my eyes landed on Zachary's smirking face. Zachary was lying on his side towards the girl on the bed next to his. He ran a hand through his hair and leaned closer to the girl, who laughed nervously and scooted farther away. She didn't seem to be enjoying the flirt session. Zachary's fan girls were also not enjoying the scene. They stood against the back railing and glared menacingly at the poor girl. Zachary reached out and put his hand on the girl's shoulder and said something quietly. The girl started looking annoyed and took Zachary's hand off her shoulder and put it back on his sun bed. I growled and turned to look away from the pair.

Heero watched me carefully but didn't say anything about it. "And the third victim is…you."

"What?!"

Heero didn't answer but he turned and looked pointedly at me, as if trying to point out something big. If Heero really thought that I was a victim that would mean I would have to be male, brown hair, pretty eyes, twenty or younger, and a girl magnet. Okay I can say yes to the first four but….a girl magnet?

I glanced around us. Now that Heero had said something, I noticed groups of girls trying to sneak glances at us without looking like they were staring. And it wasn't just Heero they were staring at. I also got a lot of girls staring at me. I looked down at my sandwich, willing away the smug smile that was trying to slip onto my face. When I finally got control of my mouth again I looked back up at Heero who was staring at the guests.

Just as I was about to comment about the girls staring, my walkie-talkie buzzed to life. "Duo Maxwell. Report to cleaning area on level 7."

I sighed and stood up. I stacked Heero's empty plate on top of mine and dropped them off at the kitchen. I took the stairs down to level 7, not looking forward to cleaning things. When I finally arrived, a short Asian man handed me a cart of cleaning supplies and then pointed to a hallway of cabins. I knocked on the first door to my right, calling out "cleaning service." No one answered so I knocked again and then used my card to enter. No one was asleep on the bed and there were no sounds from inside the bathroom so I started making the bed and cleaning the rest of the cabin. It took about forty minutes to clean the entire cabin and make my way to the second. I knocked loudly and called out. This time a man wearing a tank top and shorts opened the door and told me to not come back for another thirty minutes. I sighed and headed to the next room. This one was empty also.

Finally after finishing cleaning 15 cabins, I was sick and tired of people who couldn't keep their room clean. I stopped blushing after the fifth time of accidentally coming across women's bras. Although I searched through the people's drawers and such, I couldn't find anything to do with any of the victims. A small part of me was sort of proud that after 3 cabins, I could finish cleaning and searching the rooms in 15 minutes or less.

I glanced at my watch. It was 5:30. I decided to clean one last cabin before getting a well deserved dinner. No one answered this door either so I entered. This was the cleanest cabin yet. Everything was placed neatly in drawers and there were no clothes on the floor. I stripped the bed and changed the sheets, bored out of my mind, but stopped when the bed crackled. I lifted the top mattress and squished in between the first and second mattress were sheets of paper. I pulled them out and sat down against the bed, flipping through the papers.

The first paper had an article about the first victim's death. Beneath the article was a separate picture of the victim's body. The pale white skin emphasized the knife wounds and bruises. This had obviously been taken by a coroner or police officer but why did this guest have it under his bed. The next sheet was an article on the second victim and it was also accompanied with another photo. Same with the third victim. I scanned the articles but they were standard crap from the press that had no actual idea what happened so they made up crap. I flipped over the photo's and on the back of each were a list of names. I quickly memorized them, being a gundam had its perks sometimes. I returned the papers to their original place and searched the rest of the room. I almost gave up hope when a suspicious look box caught my attention in the back of one of the closets. I opened the box and inside was a knife along with a sheath, two guns, and handcuffs.

I returned the box and finished cleaning the room, leaving it exactly as when I came in. I quickly returned the cleaning cart to the closet and practically jumped down the two flights to Heero's cabin, the entire time hoping to God that Heero was there. Unfortunately, today was God's day off because Heero's room was empty. I grabbed a pen and paper and jotted down the names. I tore the sheet and stuffed it in my pocket. I scribbled down a note for Heero to meet me in his room at 7.

I anxiously took the elevator up to the ninth deck. After the doors of the elevator had closed, I realized that I should have taken the stairs. The elevator stopped on two other levels and people crammed into the small space. I was practically twitching in my small corner of the elevator which was being invaded by an old wrinkled man who smelled extremely bad. I sighed hugely when the elevator dinged and announced that this was the ninth floor lido deck. I waited impatiently as the people filed out into the lobby. I was the last to get off the elevator. I glanced around quickly, my eyes searching for the familiar dark eyes or messy brown hair.

Seeing nothing I walked through the pool area to the restaurant. Nothing again. I sighed and checked out in his deck seat which was now being preoccupied by a large overweight man in his mid fifties. I collapsed on a nearby chair, willing myself to calm down. Okay relax…nothing out of the normal happened. You just cleaned a FREAKING KILLER'S CABIN! No biggy. Oh my god. What if the killer has camera's in his cabin? Oh god that means I'm a dead man for sure. Where's Heero when you need him? And what about those names on the back? Are they all the people he's going to kill?

I took out the list of names and studied each one. I didn't recognize any of the names luckily but it still didn't calm my nerves. I glanced around myself. Some people were staring at me weirdly but most people just ignored me. I heard a strange crackling sound from right beside me and I jumped ten feet in the air. My hand instantly was on one of my knives but I stopped when I realized that it was only my walkie-talkie.

"Maxwell. You are being requested by a guest in the Lido deck."

Reeve's voice crackled out of the speaker. I stood up, taking a couple of shaky breaths before entering the restaurant. I headed right for Reeve who was ordering another waiter to go grab trays. Reeve looked at me weirdly when I stopped next to him but he wisely didn't say anything and simply pointed to a table near the window. When I looked, I sighed happily. Heero was sitting in the table reading a magazine and sipping water. I started heading over but Reeve's hand caught my shoulder.

"Not that one. The table next to him."

I glanced and the table across from Heero was full of giggling girls. They kept glancing at Reeve and me. I sighed, very disappointed. What was I thinking? That Heero would actually want to talk to me? Stupid. I shook my head mentally. I took a deep breath and braced myself to face the girls with a smiling face. Although I don't want to admit it, seeing Heero calmed my nerves enough that I was able to put on a smiling mask.

I walked to the girls and they all laughed nervously. Politely, I smiled and asked them if they needed anything. One brave blond girl talked up while the others giggled nervously.

"What's your name?"

"Duo."

"Well we were wondering if you got off work some time soon than we could hang out?"

"I'm terribly sorry but I have to work the rest of today and most of tomorrow. Maybe some other time." I smiled dazzling them slightly. They nodded and said it was ok and I left. I walked to the dinner line and grabbed a salad and some iced tea before slipping into the seat opposite of Heero.

Heero looked up from his magazine and stared at me for a couple of minutes. I nervously tried to ignore him but couldn't help it after a minute or two.

"What are you looking at?" I snapped at him. I was frustrated and I took it out on him.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. God, why do always think something is wrong with me?"

"Because you won't look me in the eye and that means you're trying to hide something."

I stayed silent, glaring down at my salad. My appetite had gone straight out the window and down the fifty feet into the ocean. After a couple of minutes, Heero stood up, gathering his things. I sighed mentally but waited for him to leave. He pushed in his chair and left my line of vision. The next thing I know, I'm being dragged out of my chair and out of the restaurant.

He wordlessly pulled me into an elevator and hit the fifth floor. He didn't say anything while he led me down the halls to his room. He slipped the card and ushered me in, following after locking the door. I grabbed the note pad and ripped the note off and crumpled it. A hand suddenly covered mine and forced me to open my fist. He took the note and smoothed the crinkles. He read the noted wordlessly while I sat down on the bed.

When he was finished, he looked up at me. His look told me 'either tell me what happened or I will pummel you into submission.' I sighed knowing I would have to tell him eventually. Besides he was my partner and the mission was more important than my emotional roller coaster.

I recounted the cabin cleaning adventure. He sat at his desk and listened, his full attention on me. He waited until I was completely finished before turning to his computer and opening it, going back to completely ignoring me. I sighed and laid back on the bed, staring up at the faint pattern on the ceiling. I traced the pattern with my eyes and then listened to the drumming of the keys on the laptop. I felt my eyes droop slightly. Before I realized it, I was asleep, today's events forgotten by Heero's presence.

IM7: I'm SO SORRY!!!!! i've had a major case of writers block but i finally got inspired.

Duo: She really did have writer's block. Everything she wrote was crap.

IM7: ur so nice (sarcasm) but i really am sorry. in return for the wait, here's a long chapter. hope u enjoy. please review.


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